MANILA – A rising Filipino jiu-jitsu artist made waves in Canada by scoring back-to-back victories en route to a championship title.
Fourteen-year-old Yani Alexii Lopez displayed superb technique and dominance at the 2025 Great Lakes Jiu Jitsu Open-Canada in Ontario, capturing the girls gi teen 14–15 white-grey belt crown.
Lopez clinched the title with a resounding 20-0 win over Maya McKee of Team Niagara BJJ Cicero Costha Canada in the finals, completing a flawless performance.
“I’m so thankful that I’ve been given this opportunity to compete in Pan Kids here in Ontario,” said Lopez, expressing gratitude for the support that brought her to the tournament.
Earlier, the young grappler was just as impressive in the opening round when she subdued Mackenzie Cloutier, also from Team Niagara BJJ (Cicero Costha Canada).
Lopez stormed to a commanding 13-0 lead before finishing the match with a cross-collar choke in the third minute.
“In the first round, I was up 13-0 then I submitted her via cross collar choke in the third minute,” Lopez recalled.
Interestingly, Lopez initially registered in the 95 lbs division, but was moved up to 105 lbs due to a lack of opponents.
When no matches were still available, organizers shifted her again to 115 lbs.
Ultimately, she and two overweight competitors, McKee and Cloutier, were placed in the 125 lbs category, where Lopez went on to dominate both rivals./PN
